1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door member opener apparatus for a vehicle which engages a door member in a closed state with a car body.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automobile as an example of a vehicle comprises a door member opener apparatus for a vehicle. The door member opener apparatus for a vehicle engages a tailgate with a car body while the tailgate is closed. The tailgate is an example of a door member. The door member opener apparatus for a vehicle disengages the tailgate from the car body when, for example, an electric door handle apparatus is operated.
The door member opener apparatus for a vehicle comprises a striker and a latch mechanism. The striker is fixed to, for example, the car body. The latch mechanism is fixed to the tailgate to engage with the striker. When the striker and the latch mechanism are engaged with each other to close the tailgate, the tailgate engages with the car body.
The latch mechanism comprises a claw member and a housing. The claw member engages with the striker. The housing accommodates the claw member. A notch is formed in the housing so that the striker can enter the notch.
The claw member is rotatively movably supported by the housing so as to be pushed and rotatively moved by the striker entering the housing. The claw member is formed with a concave portion in which the striker is fitted. As the claw member rotatively moves, the striker is fitted into the concave portion. Moreover, the claw member is urged so as to rotatively move in a direction in which the engagement with the striker is cleared.
Thus, the latch mechanism comprises a pawl member to regulate the rotative movement of the claw member. When the claw member engages with the striker, the pawl member mates with a mating portion provided in the claw member. This allows the pawl member to regulate the rotative movement of the claw member to maintain the engagement between the claw member and the striker. The pawl member is supported opposite the claw member across the notch into which the striker advances. The pawl member thus rotatively moves on the same plane as that on which the claw member rotatively moves. The pawl member is urged so as to rotatively move toward the claw member.
The door member opener apparatus for a vehicle also comprises an open actuator. When a handle switch provided in a door handle apparatus is turned on, the open actuator rotatively moves the pawl member in a direction in which the mating with the claw member is cleared.
When opening the tailgate, a passenger operates a handle portion of the door handle apparatus. The passenger operates the handle member to turn on the handle switch. Then, the open actuator rotatively moves the pawl member in the direction in which the mating with the claw member is cleared.
Thus, the mating between the pawl member and the claw member is cleared. Then, the striker and the pawl member are disengaged from each other by an urging force acting on the claw member or the passenger's pulling of the door.
The open actuator stops its driving after starting its driving and the predetermine time being over. Once the driving of the open actuator is stopped, the pawl member is returned toward the claw member by the urging force. In this state, the pawl member is not mated with the mating portion of the claw member. However, closing the tailgate causes the striker to enter the housing of the latch mechanism. The entering striker abuts against the claw member. Then, the striker rotatively moves the claw member. Consequently, the pawl member mates with the claw member again.
On the other hand, the tailgate is adapted to engage with the car body in a half open state so as not to fully open at a time even if the striker and the claw member are disengaged from each other during traveling. The engagement between the striker and the claw member includes a regular engaged state and a half open state corresponding to the regular closed state and half open state of the tailgate. In the regular closed state, the tailgate is fully closed.
Further, the claw member and the pawl member mate with each other in association with the regular engaged state and half open state of the striker and claw member.
Depending on the magnitude of a force exerted by the passenger when closing the door, the tailgate may be half opened rather than being brought into the regular closed state, under the elastic force of a weatherstrip installed between the tailgate and the car body. In this state, the passenger must re-close the tailgate.
When re-closing the tailgate, the passenger first opens the tailgate. Then, in most cases, the passenger closes the tailgate immediately after the opening. Thus, the time for which the tailgate is open is short. On this occasion, the claw member remains free even though the tailgate is closed to a position corresponding to the regular closed state before the released pawl member returns toward the claw member under the urging force.
Consequently, the tailgate returns to a position corresponding to the half open state under the elastic force of the weatherstrip. Then, in this state, the pawl member returns toward the claw member. The pawl member and the claw member mate with each other. In other words, the tailgate engages with the car body in the half open state. Thus, it has been desirable to effectively prevent the half open state of the door.
Thus, it has been proposed that the time for which the open actuator is kept driven when re-closing the tailgate be set shorter than the duration from after the operation of the handle portion until the tailgate is closed to the position corresponding to the regular closed state.
This setting is made in order to mate the claw member with the pawl member when the handle switch is turned off before the tailgate returns from the position for the regular closed state to the position for the half open state.
Alternatively, in connection with a door member opener apparatus for a vehicle disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-123722, it has been proposed that the handle switch be turned off to stop driving the open actuator even while the open actuator should be driven. This causes the pawl member to return toward the claw member before the tailgate is closed to the position for the regular closed state.
On the other hand, the passenger may not pull up the tailgate immediately after the operation of the handle portion or may open the tailgate slowly. If the tailgate is not pulled up immediately after the operation, the tailgate is pushed out by the urging force acting on the claw member but may return to the position for the half open state under the weight of the tailgate itself.
Thus, when the driving of the open actuator is stopped before the striker and the claw member are completely disengaged from each other, the claw member and the pawl member mate with each other. The tailgate thus engages with the car body in the half open state.
That is, for some passengers, the time from after the operation of the handle portion until the striker and the claw member are disengaged from each other exceeds the time for which the open actuator is driven. Then, the tailgate cannot be opened. When the driving time of the open actuator is set shorter than the duration of re-closing of the tailgate, this tendency is marked and the tailgate cannot be smoothly opened.